| Professor |
Dr. Ann
Brady: STC-STA Director |
| Phone |
487-2066 |
| E-mail |
mabrady@mtu.edu |
| Office |
329A Walker |
| Office
Hours |
Tuesday & Thursday
12:30 - 1:30 Wednesday 3 - 4 &
by appointment |
| Course Title |
Introduction to Scientific
& Technical Communication HU2600 |
| Course Time &
Place |
Tuesday & Thursday
11:0 5 - 12:35 Walker 134 |
| Course Texts |
• The Practice
of Technical & Scientific Communication
• Technical Report Writing Today |
| Class Listserv |
2600-l@mtu.edu |
| Class
Website |
http://www.hu.mtu.edu/~mabrady |
Course Description
HU 2600
is designed to broaden your understanding of scientific and technical
communication. Grounded in the knowledge that the best rhetorical theories
have to offer, the course not only prepares you to write effectively
in a variety of contexts, but also to be aware of the social and ethical
responsibilities you must assume in the workplace.
Course Goals
Scientific and technical documents include a wide range of subjects,
goals, information sources, readers, and circumstances that lead to
their preparation. To be successful as a writer in the many genres that
comprise the field, you need to be rhetorically informed and thus able
to assess your audience and identify your own purposes. The course thus
has two goals. First, it teaches you what science and technical communication
is and how it differs from the conventional writing that is typically
taught in high school and college. Secondly it teaches you how to think
rhetorically and to produce transactional documents—that is documents
that are designed to get things done.
Course Requirements
1. Readings:
I expect you to read the texts assigned in the syllabus before the class
session and to actively and thoughtfully discuss in class the topics
for a given session. Additional readings may be assigned during the
semester for which you will be responsible.
2. Written assignments:
Although I may modify the assignment topics and due dates during the
semester, I plan for four different types of written assignments.
First,
there’ll be a suite of brief memos and reports. More specifically,
I’ll ask you to (1) interview someone who writes or designs
as a professional communicator or as part of their the job and report
your findings in a memo; (2) write proposals at the start of document
cycles and self-assessments at the end, both as memos; (3) write an
introductory and analytic memo to introduce a portfolio sample that
you’ll hand in at semester’s end; (4) write a trip report.
Second,
I’ll ask you to identify an organization to which you belong
and do an assessment report of its communication functions.
Third,
I’ll ask you to review or produce a piece of science writing.
Fourth,
I’ll ask you to write a proposal.
The last three types
of assignments are longer than the first and typically go through
a cycle that includes pre-writing or a proposal, a peer-reviewed rough
draft, comments from me, and a final draft accompanied by a self-assessment
memo. Proposals will indicate your audience, purpose, goals, and concerns.
Peer reviews are essential since they prepare you for the collaborative
and critically demanding work of document production, both in the
classroom and the workplace. Since the reviews are a privilege and
a responsibility, use them well. Come prepared, be clear, specific,
and complete in your assessment of your peers’ work, and demand
the same for your own. Self-assessments will indicate what you like
about what you produced, what you’d change about it, and what
you’ve learned.
Keep a digital copy of
each assignment you complete.
Submit your assignments
in hard-copy using 12-point font and with 1.5-line spacing.
3. Teamed oral
reports and individual abstracts
You’ll be assigned to a team to investigate a particular area
in the profession that is described in the required text by Lutz and
Storms. Your investigation and report should begin with this text but
should go beyond it using the additional resources at the end of each
chapter to reinforce or amplify what you have to say. In your oral report,
you should introduce the professional area, explaining its applications,
responsibilities and employment outlook. The presentation should not
exceed 10 minutes; you should plan to devote 2 minutes of this time
to audience questions. You should include one visual, although not necessarily
PowerPoint. Finally, you should plan to submit a summary of your presentation
on the day of your talk.
4. Conference Speakers
The Humanities Department is hosting the international Feminist(s) Rhetoric(s)
Conference October 6, 7, and 8. Four hundred participants will be coming
to Michigan Tech to hear presentations about social, economic, political,
and literary issues. Keynote speeches are free and open to the public.
I am requiring that you attend one of these keynotes and write a short
trip report about it.
5. Portfolios
Throughout the semester, you should keep a running file of your work,
which will serve as the basis for two portfolio pieces you will turn
in at the end of the semester. In November, I’ll ask you to choose
one document you’ve produced in this class, revise it, and write
an accompanying introduction in which you reflect on the piece and what
you’ve learned as a result of working on it.
Professional writers use
their portfolios to showcase their best work for possible employers
and for professional awards. You’ll begin yours in this class,
watch it grow as you advance through the program, and present it as
part of your capstone before you graduate.
6. Academic honesty
Unless the assignment calls for a collaborative effort, I expect that
the work you submit to me will be yours. If you are referring to or
using other sources, acknowledge them, using proper form. Evidence of
copied or plagiarized work is cause for serious disciplinary action
by the University.
7. Attendance
I expect you to attend every class meeting and every conference, ready
to participate fully and thoughtfully. If you miss more than three of
our classes/individual meetings, I will drop your final grade. If you
must be absent, please contact me via e-mail or speak with me in person.
8. Grading
You can earn an A or B in this class if you complete all assignments
and reach deadlines, do quality work, and show some genuine commitment.
You’ll earn a C if you meet deadlines with satisfactory effort
or if some of your assignments are incomplete. You’ll receive
a D or F if your assignments are poorly executed or overdue, or if your
attendance, participation, or effort is unsatisfactory.
Note that while there is
no formal category for participation and attendance, they will both
influence how I evaluate your performance at the end of this semester.
This is a class in professional communication; I expect you to behave
professionally. If you have questions about your grade at any time during
the semester, let me know so that we can discuss your progress.
| Teamed
oral reports |
05% |
| Portfolio self-assessment
letter & revision |
10% |
| Informal memos, reports,
abstracts |
15% |
| Science writing piece |
20% |
| Assessment report |
25% |
| Proposal |
25% |
9. Grading standards
A (truly excellent).
A work is an example of highly effective professional writing. It
makes its purposes clear, reflects concern for its audience’s
needs and responses, and is detailed, persuasive, effectively organized,
exhibits appropriate format and tone, and is grammatically correct.
B (very good).
B work is effective and would succeed in most professional communication
circumstances. It may lack the polish or effectiveness of an A.
C (satisfactory).
C work is effective though it lacks features necessary to succeed
completely with a professional audience. Its purpose may not be entirely
clear, it may not be effectively organized, it may not exhibit an
appropriate tone or format, or it entails grammatical errors that
make it difficult to read or understand than necessary.
D (poor).
D work does not communicate effectively for several reasons. It may
display an inadequate understanding of purpose or audience. It may
lack information or b e unpersuasive. Its organization may be confusing
or misleading, and its tone or format may be inappropriate. It may
be difficult to understand or contain serious errors in grammar.
F (unacceptable).
F work does not satisfy the requirements of the assignment.
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